As part of the full list of Grammy nominations for the upcoming 2024 awards show, the Recording Academy included five nominees for the Songwriter of the Year category. Along with names like Edgar Barrera, Jessie Jo Dillon, Shane McAnally, and Justin Tranter, Virgin Islands native Theron Thomas will compete for the gold gramophone trophy.
Videos by American Songwriter
Thomas’ nomination comes from his contributions to marquee artists on hits like “All My Life” by Lil Durk and J. Cole, “Seven” by BTS’ Jung Kook and Latto, “Told Ya” by Chlöe and Missy Elliot, and more. If victorious, this would be Thomas’ second Grammy win, following up the trophy he earned alongside Lizzo earlier this year when her “About Damn Time” won 2023 Record of the Year.
Soon after the 2024 nominations list arrived on Friday, American Songwriter was able to get in touch with Thomas, as he shared his excitement about the news with us.
“Daddy, this one is for you! Virgin Islands for life!” he said.
Additionally, Thomas took to Instagram to address the nomination, leaving no doubt about how thrilled he was.
“THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!!,” he wrote. “THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING!!!!!! NOMINATED FOR SONG WRITER OF THE YEAR IM SO HAPPY NOW.”
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The phrase “this is not a drill” in the post’s caption is much more than just a spur-of-the-moment exclamation, though. It also coincides with the title of Thomas’ latest studio album as part of the duo R. City with his brother Timothy Thomas (better known as Timo Makaveli). Released on October 27, This Is Not A Drill…This Is Really Happening! sees Thomas and Makaveli provide an enticing combination of American hip-hop and pop with their Caribbean roots.
This amalgamation of influences was made possible when the two brothers moved to the U.S. after high school and began songwriting duties for Akon. Together, while slowly building up a name for themselves as R. City, Thomas and Makaveli also found themselves crafting hits with elite talent like Beyoncé, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Jennifer Hudson.
In recent years, Thomas has been able to insert himself more into hip-hop circles, writing for burgeoning acts like Doja Cat, Sweetie, The Kid LAROI, Latto, and more. Additionally, he’s been a consistent fixture in studio sessions for pop and R&B acts like Ciara, Becky G, and Charli XCX.
When reflecting on his latest career-defining milestone today, Thomas made sure to acknowledge his competition, wishing all nominees good luck.
“Thank you to the Recording Academy for this recognition,” he said. “It is a tremendous honor to be nominated, and congratulations to all my fellow nominees. Congratulations and good luck to all of you.”
Check out all the songs that got Thomas nominated below.
• “All My Life” – Lil Durk featuring J. Cole
• “Been Thinking” – Tyla
• “Cheatback” – Chlöe & Future
• “How We Roll” – Ciara & Chris Brown
• “Make Up Your Mind” – Cordae
• “Pretty Girls Walk – “Big Boss Vette”
• “Seven” – Jung Kook & Latto
• “Told Ya” – Chlöe & Missy Elliot
• “You And I” – Sekou
Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
